OMG!!! ITS A LIFE SIZE HOTWHEEL! LOOKS GOOD AND WHEN YOU PUSH IT, IT ROLLS! I can't believe it already has 2 bids on it! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1997-Ferrari-F355-spider-6-speed-33k-miles-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ160385729453QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item2557bc03ad#ht_500wt_948 I figure you need to allow for about $30,000.00 worth of work plus the $25,000+ it takes to buy it, and you've got a perfectly good $30,000.00 POS with a poor history and a tragic title problem/milage rollback scenario with a history of going from 17,000 Miles to 80,000 Miles, back down to 33,000 miles. How do things like this happen? How do they find buyers? WWED-What Would Enzo Do?
I never understand why Ferrarist are so hard on these cars. ITS JUST A CAR! Grant it, this should happen to any car. In all fairness, its hard for ANY car to go from 17k to 78k in less than 12 months. why cant we hope that a responsible owner buy it and corrects it. If every sub par car is deemed for the junk yard then the available number of classic will disappear rapidly. Ferrarist act as if 100k on a Ferrari means either engine rebuild or parts car. These cars are meant to be driven. That's why a high to Ferrarist mile car (50k is just broken in on most other car especially German) usually has less problems. This is a GREAT car for DIYer who wishes to join the Ferrari community. Outside of a complete engine rebuild, it should not take $30k to restore it. $10k-15k is more realistic
here is the PPI it is from Boston Sportscar Co. The frame damage is the ONLY scary thing. Still max of $15k with straighten the frame(from reputable shop) if it can be. 1) Lug bolts missing for all four wheels. Vehicle should not be driven. 2) Compression Test: cyl. 1 = 200 , cyl 2 = 200, cyl. 3 = 200, cyl. 4 = 200, cyl. 5 = 205, cyl. 6 = 220, cyl. 7 = 205, cyl. 8 = 200. 3) Convertible top: Do not operate, top is binding up and will bend or break components if operated. 4) Steering rack needs to be replaced. Left boot is torn and inner ball joint has excessive play. 5) Parking brake shoes are worn down completely, no pad is left. 6) Body structure is damaged and pushed in underneath radiators on both sides. 7) Right inner driveshaft / cv joint boot is completely gone. Left boot is heat deformed and will crack open shortly. 8) Both exhaust headers have been repaired marginally. Left side header is completely cracked and melted through again. Aftermarket catalytic converters have been installed. Both
Title shows it possibly previously belonging to a rental fleet agency. Maybe... Maybe not, but this is the kind of car you would expect coming from a lot where an average Joe can rent one in Vegas for $500 and tear the ever living hell out of it. Figure New Tubi or Stebro $4K Frame Damage Repairs $10K Top Problems Better Set Aside $7K Brakes & Rotors $2.5K Bald & Grinding The Rotors eeeew! Clutch (You can count on it) $7K And God only knows what all is going on under the engine compartment! Seat bottoms appear to be significantly worn ??? Sticky components ??? AC & Other Electrical ??? I still say $55,000 plus (conservatively) maybe $10K Light to have a rollback Ferrari with possibly 70K+ Miles on it that can't be verified. Any buyers? This being 100% Mechanical & Current with that title and those miles is worth about $35,000.00 Tops. In my mind a bad title Ferrari, it doesn't matter if it's Flood, Wrecked, Fire, Theft, or Rollback, it's all salvage to me. The description says it all :>) This is not a perfect example of Ferrari and it has not been serviced in a long time. Wow! I've followed the seller, and this is truly not the type of thing he generally sells. He sells RR's, Bentley, Lambos, and I believe in the validity of his business. He at least lists exactly what your getting. I'd be more likely to buy from him than most the guys selling on eBay!
Dude where do you get those prices from? With exaggerated prices like this, This way people are scared to buy a Ferrari with issues. 10k for frame repair 7k for top not realistic UNLESS you have enough money not to shop around or get you hands dirty. This car is not for everyone but it is for someone with mechanical ability and a desire to own a Ferrari
I'm not talking about just the canvas or an installation. The top has power & frame problems. I do agree it would be an okay deal for someone with mechanical abilities and time, but even then it's going to be expensive. I think you would find $30,000 worth of work really easy. A minimum your going to pay for a major is $7K, this one probably has never been serviced. By the dealer's description the guy who owned it, couldn't afford to maintain it. Probably needs new valves, gaskets, hoses, obviously the exhaust system and radiators will be damaged from the description of frame damage. Could possibly need a lot more attention to the undercarriage. You don't get these sorts of problems unless your doing some incredibly high speeds and bottom out on something. You've posted an incomplete PPI report. There's going to be a lot more that they find when they drop everything. Whoever buys it is going to be at risk for major costs. They should know that up front. The pipe dream of putting a few thousand bucks into one clearly abused and neglected like this and not at least being prepared for the worst and having the money to fix, will wreck their dreams of owning a Ferrari, and will forever remedy any beliefs there's such thing as a cheap 355. Maintenance isn't getting cheaper on 355's, but purchase prices have. Why buy a potential nightmare WITH MILAGE ROLLBACK FROM 70K TO 33K (Consider the hit in value with it shows up anyway), Why not just spend $45K - $55K and get one without the drama? In the long run, your not saving any money, and that's a fact.
Are those compression numbers around 200 good or bad? Not sure what a 355 compression test should look like. Either way seems like an interesting find.
Tony, your figures are HIGH ...again this car could be made very good with about $15k... Major from the dealer(if you wish to throw away money) is probably 7k. Reputable shop more like $4k-5K... No one seems to want to try and shop around or get their hand dirty. The PPI I listed is what was sent to me done by Boston Sportscar. Bottom line, it could be repaired PROPERLY for reasonable. Also, true 45k to 55k could land a better mileage known car. My point is let's stop wanting to junk these car so quickly or thinking it will always cost an arm and leg to get it right.
Well, the mileage report looks like the huge jump from 2000-2001 might be an error by the auctioneer, it wasn't actually on the title. By 2004, it looks like the car's been stored for years and not driven much. The mileage might really be 33,500. Although, it is a negotiation point on price if it was a private sale rather than an auction scenario. What worries me is the history saying it was perhaps a fleet/rental car. There are issues that have been flagged in the PPI, but as long as you know what you're getting into then you can factor the repair costs into the overall 'purchase price' in your mind. However, you don't know what else might be imminently about to break as fleet/rental cars are abused by the renters who are going to be in it for a day and then hand it back. You don't treat a car with love unless you own it. Not that I'm anywhere near a position to buy it anyway... All the best, Andrew.
